Fashion and footwear companies such as Crocs, Skechers, Uniqlo, Mothercare and SMCP along with e-commerce giant Amazon have joined several other global brands to temporarily stop their operations in Russia as it continues to wage war on Ukraine. Despite wishing to continue its business in Russia, Uniqlo had to pause its operations “due to a number of difficulties”.

“Uniqlo has made everyday clothing available to the general public in Russia too, as part of our mission. However, we have recently faced a number of difficulties, including operational challenges and the worsening of the conflict situation. For this reason, we will temporarily suspend our operations,” Uniqlo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fast Retailing, said in a statement.

Uniqlo also announced a donation of $10 million and clothing through its longstanding global partnership with UNHCR. In addition, its employees in Europe have been helping deliver clothing to affected people fleeing from Ukraine.

Crocs, Inc. has paused its direct-to-consumer business, inclusive of e-commerce and retail operations, in Russia. The company has also paused the importation of goods into the country. Through Crocs Cares, it has made a donation to UNICEF to support UNICEF's on-the-ground humanitarian efforts with a specific focus on addressing the needs of displaced children and families throughout the region, the company said in a media release.

Skechers USA announced last week that it temporarily suspended shipments to Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine. Skechers is also donating $250,000 in humanitarian aid to organisations on the ground in Ukraine and Poland, as well as matching employee donations up to an additional $250,000 to support the Ukrainian people, it said in a statement.

Mothercare has suspended shipment of all products in Russia. Its local partner has confirmed that it will be immediately pausing operations in some 120 stores and online. Russia represents around 20-25 per cent of Mothercare's worldwide retail sales and was previously expected to contribute around £0.5 million per month to Group profit, the company said in a press note.

Brands like Nike, Mango, Zara owner Inditex, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Under Armour, Canada Goose, Puma, Boohoo Group, PVH Corp and Levi Strauss as well as luxury fashion companies like LVMH, Hermès and Kering among many others have also paused their operations in Russia.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)

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